Leadership responsibility significantly increases in the mid-level enlisted ranks. This responsibility is given formal recognition by use of the terms noncommissioned officer and petty officer. An Army sergeant, an Air Force staff sergeant, and a Marine corporal are considered NCO ranks. The Navy and Coast Guard NCO equivalent, petty officer, is achieved at the rank of petty officer third class.

ARMY

NAVY

MARINES

AIR FORCE

COAST GUARD

Sergeant

Petty OfficerSecond Class

Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Petty OfficerSecond Class

E5

Staff Sergeant

Petty OfficerFirst Class

Staff Sergeant

Technical Sergeant

Petty OfficerFirst Class

E6

SergeantFirst Class

ChiefPetty Officer

GunnerySergeant

MasterSergeant

FirstSergeant

ChiefPetty Officer

E7

At the E-8 level, the Army, Marines and Air Force have two positions at the same pay grade. Whether one is, for example, a senior master sergeant or a first sergeant in the Air Force depends on the person's job. The same is true for the positions at the E-9 level. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeants and sergeants major receive the same pay but have different responsibilities. All told, E-8s and E-9s have 15 to 30 years on the job, and are commanders' senior advisers for enlisted matters.

A third E-9 element is the senior enlisted person of each service. The Sergeant Major of the Army, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard are the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services.

Additional information

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